Medicine recall in Pakistan: how DRAP recalls work and what to do
A medicine recall in Pakistan is a DRAP notice ordering specific batches off the market, usually after a quality test failed. To check yours, search the medicine name and batch number in DRAP recall alerts; if your batch is listed, stop using it, keep the pack and return it to the pharmacy.
Recall, rapid alert, recall class: the terms
| Term | What it means | Usually about |
|---|---|---|
| Recall alert | Specific batches must be withdrawn from distribution, pharmacies and, where needed, patients | Genuine products that failed a quality test, or have a labelling or safety defect |
| Rapid alert | A warning to look out for and confiscate a product found in the market | Spurious, falsified or unregistered products |
| Class I | Most serious: using the product could cause serious harm | Contamination, wrong ingredient, sterility failure |
| Class II | Could cause temporary or reversible harm, or is unlikely to cause serious harm | Assay or dissolution failures, some labelling defects |
| Class III | Unlikely to cause harm, but breaches requirements | Minor packaging or labelling issues |
In our index of DRAP's alerts since July 2021, 19 titles mention Class I, 13 mention Class II and 1 mentions Class III; many alerts do not state a class in the title.
How often DRAP issues alerts
Our index holds 349 DRAP notices: 138 recall alerts, 94 about substandard products, 92 about spurious or falsified products, 7 about unregistered products and 18 others, such as crackdowns on unlicensed manufacturers. The number rose sharply in 2025. You can see the yearly chart on our recall page.
Who starts a recall
- Laboratory testing: federal and provincial drug testing laboratories test market samples. A failed result is the most common trigger.
- The manufacturer: a company that finds a defect in its own batch is expected to report it and recall.
- Inspections: drug inspectors find problems in a factory, warehouse or shop.
- Other regulators and the WHO: international alerts about a product also sold in Pakistan. Several DRAP alerts are titled as WHO recalls.
- Reports from the public: complaints and side-effect reports can lead to testing.
How to check if your medicine is recalled
- Find the batch numberOn the carton and strip, labelled B. No., BN or Lot.
- Search the alertsUse our recall search with the name and batch. It also checks DRAP's newest alerts live.
- Scan new packsFor packs with a square code, scanning shows a recalled status and automatically checks the batch against the alerts.
- Confirm the matchSame product, strength and batch? Then the recall applies to you. Same brand, different batch? Usually not.
What to do with a recalled medicine
Stop using that batch
Put it aside and label it so nobody in the house takes it.
Do not throw it away yet.
Do not leave a gap
For regular medicines, call your doctor or pharmacist the same day.
Get a pack from another batch or an alternative.
Return it
Take it back to the pharmacy with the receipt.
Ask for a replacement or refund.
Report effects
If you took it and feel unwell, see a doctor.
Report the side effect with the batch number.
What pharmacies and distributors must do
DRAP's recall alerts are addressed to its field offices, provincial drug control departments, healthcare professionals and, for patients, consumers. Distributors and pharmacies are expected to stop selling the named batches, quarantine them and return them through the supply chain. A pharmacy that keeps selling a recalled batch can be reported; see how to complain to DRAP. Our pharmacy routine includes a daily check of new alerts.
Why some recalls name medical devices
DRAP also regulates medical devices. In 2026 several recall alerts named disposable syringes that failed the auto-disable test, a safety feature that stops a syringe being reused. If you buy syringes for home use, check the batch or lot number in the alerts too.
Recall ya nakli dawa: mukhtasar
Recall ka matlab hai ke kisi asli dawa ka khaas batch test mein fail hua aur market se wapas mangwaya gaya. Rapid alert aksar nakli ya ghair-registered dawa ke baare mein hota hai. Apna batch number recall search mein dekhein; mil jaye to dawa band karein, pack sambhal kar pharmacy wapas karein aur doctor se mashwara karein.
A worked example: a substandard batch
Suppose Farah buys a pack of tablets for her father in May. In June she sees a news report that a DRAP alert has declared some batches of the same brand substandard. She checks the carton: batch 24K118. She searches the brand and batch in the recall tool. The alert lists two other batches, not hers. Her pack is not affected, and she carries on, keeping an eye on further alerts. Had her batch matched, she would have stopped using it, called her father's doctor about a replacement the same day, and taken the pack back to the pharmacy with the receipt.
The key point is that recalls are about batches, not whole brands. A headline that names a brand does not mean every pack of that brand is bad.
Recalls that come from abroad
Some DRAP alerts relay recalls or warnings first issued by the World Health Organization or other regulators, for example when a falsified product is found in several countries. These alerts list the batch numbers and packaging details found elsewhere so that the same products can be spotted in Pakistan. If you bought a medicine abroad or from an online seller importing it, check these alerts too.
Questions people ask
How do I know if my medicine is recalled in Pakistan?
Search the medicine name and batch number in our DRAP recall search, which covers every DRAP recall and rapid alert since 2021. Scanning the square code on new packs also returns a recalled status if the batch is flagged.
Who issues medicine recalls in Pakistan?
DRAP publishes recall and rapid alerts. Recalls may follow testing by federal or provincial drug testing laboratories, inspections, reports from the manufacturer, or alerts from other regulators and the WHO.
What is a Class I recall?
In recall classification systems, Class I is used for the most serious problems, where using the product could cause serious harm. Class II covers problems that may cause temporary or reversible harm, and Class III problems unlikely to cause harm. DRAP's alerts state the class where one is assigned.
Will I get a refund for a recalled medicine?
Return the recalled pack to the pharmacy where you bought it with your receipt. Pharmacies return recalled stock to their suppliers, and most will replace or refund it.
Should I stop taking a recalled medicine immediately?
Stop using the recalled batch, but if it is a medicine you need regularly, contact your doctor or pharmacist the same day for a replacement from a different batch or an alternative, so your treatment is not interrupted.
Is a recalled medicine the same as a fake medicine?
Not always. A recall usually concerns a genuine product whose batch failed a quality test. Spurious or falsified products are fakes; DRAP publishes rapid alerts about them so the market can be searched and the fakes confiscated.
Does a recall mean the brand is banned?
No. A recall covers named batches. Other batches of the same brand stay on sale unless DRAP suspends or cancels the product's registration.
How long after a recall should I keep checking?
Recalled batches can remain in homes and small shops for months. Check the batch of any pack you have at home when you hear about a recall, even if you bought it before the alert.
